Display device



Oct. 22, 1963 Filed Aug. 28, 1961 United States Patent ice 3,107,648DISPLAY DEVICE Milton A. Lundstrom, 715 6th Ave., Rockford, Ill. FiledAug. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 134,208 1 Claim. (Cl. 116-173) This inventionrelates to a display device and more particularly to a display devicewhich is adapted for temporary mounting on the radio antenna of anautomobile. It is an object of the invention to provide an improveddevice of such character.

It is common practice to display on automobiles such things as flags,school pennants, campaign slogans and identification of various touristattractions visited by the occupants of the automobile. conventionallysuch displays are in the form of stickers applied to windows or bumpers,or in the form of cloth flags, bunting, or streamers tied or otherwisesecured to bumpers or doorposts. Such display devices have variousdisadvantages including difficulty of attachment, difficulty of removal,obstruction of the drivers or the passengers vision, high cost, lack ofvisibility from various directions.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improveddisplay device for an automobile which is visible from all directions.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an improveddisplay device which is easily attached to and removed from anautomobile.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved displaydevice arranged for temporary mounting on the radio antenna of anautomobile so constructed as to have no ill effects on the antenna.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved display devicefor temporary mounting on the radio antenna of an automobile, whichdevice effectively resists destruction. due to whipping in the strongwind caused by high speed movement of the automobile and so constructedthat practically no whipping action occurs even at high speeds.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved displaydevice having various of the characteristics referred to above whilebeing attractive in appearance, durable, inexpensive to manufacture andlight in weight.

The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof,will best be understood by reference to the following specificationtaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display device illustrating oneembodiment of the invention and shown in association with an automobileantenna;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the display device and a portion of theradio antenna of FIG. 1 taken from the front such that rippling of thedisplay device may be more readily observed;

FIG. 3 is a full face view of a display device illustrating stillanother embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a full face view of a display device illustrating stillanother embodiment of the invention.

The display device of the present invention consists primarily of a fiatsheet 11, preferably of a synthetic plastic such as vinyl, mylar, orlight weight metals such as aluminum, an important requirement beingthat the material be light in weight so as to minimize the load on theantenna. On both sides of the material any desired wording and/orpictorial display may be printed, this being accomplished in a mannersuitable to the particular material employed for the base sheet 11.Since the particular form of display as well as the means for printingor otherwise applying the desired material on the surfaces of the basesheet 11 may be in accordance with common practice, and since they donot constitute, in themselves,

3 ,107,648 Patented Oct. 22 1963 a feature of the present invention,they are not described in further detail herein.

Arranged along one edge 11a of the sheet 11 is a row of perforations 12of such size that an automobile radio antenna 13 may be freely receivedtherein in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. More specifically,the radio antenna 13 is woven in alternating directions through thevarious openings 12.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention the size ofthe openings 12 and the spacing therebetween is such that a substantialrippling of the edge 11a is effected by virtue of the weaving of theradio antenna 13 therethrough, all as best seen in FIG. 2. These ripplesextend away from the edge 11a, toward the left in FIGS. 1 and 2, butbecame less pronounced and ultimately substantially disappear. Note thesubstantial rippling effect in the marginal strip between the row ofperforations and the leading edge 11a,

Preferably, the depth of the rippling and the length of sheet 11 in ahorizontal direction is such that a substantial rippling extends overhalf the length of the sheet, or over half way to the free edge of thesheet. It has been found that under these conditions the sheet 11effectively resists destruction due to whipping in the strong windcaused by high speed movement of the automobile.

The corrugations of the pennant appear to provide opposing air channelsor streams on either side of the pennant which tend to stabilize thepennant whereby the wind currents act as an aid to stabilization ratherthan as a destructive force.

Destructive whipping of the display device is further deterred by makingthe generally quadrilateral sheet 11 of such configuration that the twoedges of the sheet adjacent the edge 11a taper generally toward eachother such that the fourth or free edge is substantially shorter thanthe edge 11a.

It is preferable that the display device ride on the antenna 13 in themanner illustrated in FIG. 1, the perforations 12 may be made of suchsize that they will snugly receive the lowermost section or portion ofthe radio antenna to give maximum stability at high speeds.

FIG. 3 illustrated another embodiment of the invention wherein a sheetW1 of synthetic plastic material is provided, this being identical tothe sheet 11 of FIGS. 1 and 2 with the exception that perforations 22therein are of larger diameter than the perforations 12 in the sheet 11.A tube 25 of synthetic plastic material is woven through the apertures22 in the same manner as the antenna 13 of FIGS. 1 and 2. With the sheet21 and the tube 25 assembled in this manner, the tube 25 may be slidover the upper end of the radio antenna 13, the lower end of the tubeengaging a suitable annular shoulder of the antenna or engaging themount of the antenna as at 20.

In FIG. 4 a further embodiment of the invention is illustrated wherein asheet 31 of synthetic plastic material is assembled with a tube 35extending through apertures 32 in the sheet. The two edges of the sheet31 adjacent its leading edge 31a are tapered in a stepped pattern asshown. This particular configuration is recommended where the displaydevice is to simulate a flag, such as the American flag, since thisparticular configuration gives the impression of a flag which isrippling in the wind.

The various embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings anddescribed above may now be seen to be easily attached to and removedfrom an automobile.

The provision of openings which are little larger than the radio antennaand which are spaced only a short distance apart causes deep rippling ofthe leading edge of the device. Shaping of the device such that therippling extends over half way to the trailing or free edge of thedevice results in effective resistance to whipping in the wind andappears to provide air currents which etiect stabilization againstwhipping. For this purpose, the plastic material must be relativelystill in view of its two principal dimensions. More particularly, itshould be sufficiently rigid that its ends sag only slightly whensupported in a horizontal plane at its center. Where the term relativelystiff is employed herein it is to be construed as having this generalmeaning.

It will be apparent that the display device will line up readily withthe direction of relative air flow, with the free edge trailing and withthe edge adjacent the antenna leading, even with the automobiletraveling at relatively low speed. It will also be apparent that thedevice is very simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

While there has been described what are at present considered to be thepreferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood thatfurther modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to coverin the appended claim all such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

A flag like device for mounting on an automobile rodtype antennacomprising a hollow support tube for placement about said antenna, and alight weight sheet of sufiicient stifiness to maintain its shape whensupported along an edge thereof, said sheet having a leading edge and atrailing end and said sheet having three or more perforations arrangedin a row parallel to and spaced inwardly an appreciable amount, fromsaid leading edge thus defining a marginal strip between said row ofperforations and said leading edge, the size and spacing of saidperforations and the size and shape of said sheet being such that theweaving of said tube through said perforations results in a pronouncedsinusoidal ripple in said leading edge and in said strip which graduallydecreases in amplitude as said ripples approach said trailing endwhereby when said leading edge is subjected to a Wind current it cutssaid current to distribute the Wind forces to either side of said sheetalong a path formed by said ripples such that turbulence and flapping insaid display are substantially eliminated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

